A technique that enables exchange of game data among hand-held game apparatuses capable of wirelessly communicating with each other has been known to date. In such a technique, when a condition for communication is satisfied among different game apparatuses which are within a communication-allowed range, the different game apparatuses perform transmission and reception of exchange conditions for exchanging game data among the game apparatuses. When the exchange conditions are satisfied, the game data is exchanged.
However, in the technique described above, since the game data which is previously stored in the game apparatuses (game cartridges) is exchanged, the game data which can be exchanged and collected is limited. Therefore, there is a room for improvement in maintaining of a user's motivation for collecting data from other game apparatuses.
Therefore, a feature of the exemplary embodiments is to make available an information processing system and the like capable of maintaining a user's motivation for collecting data that is a subject to be collected.
An information processing system according to the exemplary embodiment includes a server, and a plurality of hand-held information terminals connectable to the server via a network, and includes a first processor configured to generate or select subject-data-to-be-collected representing an element to be collected, when the server and any one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals cooperate with each other to perform predetermined information processing by using data transmitted and received between the server and the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals. Further, the plurality of hand-held information terminals each include a first transmitter and receiver configured to transmit to and receive from another one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, the subject-data-to-be-collected.
In the features described above, the server and one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals cooperate with each other to perform information processing by using data which is transmitted and received between the server and the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, thereby generating or selecting the subject-data-to-be-collected. The subject-data-to-be-collected which has been thus generated or selected is transmitted and received between the hand-held information terminals. Therefore, wide variations in the subject-data-to-be-collected can be obtained, so that a user's motivation for collecting the subject-data-to-be-collected can be maintained. For example, the subject-to-be-collected such as an image can be added on the server side, and distributed to the plurality of hand-held information terminals, thereby enabling the number and the kinds of subjects-to-be-collected to be increased.
According to another feature of the exemplary embodiment, the first processor may operate such that the server generates or selects the subject-data-to-be-collected by using data transmitted and received between the server and any one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, and transmits, to the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, the subject-data-to-be-collected having been generated or selected. The first transmitter and receiver may transmit to and receive from the other one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, the subject-data-to-be-collected transmitted from the server.
In the features described above, since the subject-data-to-be-collected is transmitted from the server to the plurality of hand-held information terminals, a plurality of pieces of subject-data-to-be-collected and/or data on which the subject-data-to-be-collected is based need not be previously stored in each of the hand-held information terminals, so that a memory capacity to be used or load of a memory can be reduced in each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals.
According to still another feature of the exemplary embodiment, the first processor may operate such that any one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals transmits, to the server, associated data which is associated with the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals or a user of the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, and the server generates or selects the subject-data-to-be-collected using the associated data transmitted from the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals.
In the features described above, the subject-data-to-be-collected to be distributed to each of the hand-held information terminals can be determined by using, for example, information unique to each of the hand-held information terminals or a user thereof.
According to still another feature of the exemplary embodiment, each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals may further include a positional information obtaining section configured to obtain positional information about a user or about a corresponding one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, and the first processor may generate or select the subject-data-to-be-collected by using the positional information
In the features described above, the subject-data-to-be-collected which is transmitted and received between one of the hand-held information terminals and another one of the hand-held information terminals can be associated with a position of each user or each hand-held information terminal.
According to still another feature of the exemplary embodiment, each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals may further include a region information obtaining section configured to obtain region information about a user or about a corresponding one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, and the first processor may generate or select, by using the region information, the subject-data-to-be-collected having been subjected to sorting according to a region.
In the features described above, the subject-data-to-be-collected which is transmitted and received between one of the hand-held information terminals and another one of the hand-held information terminals can be associated with a region of each user or each hand-held information terminal.
According to still another feature of the exemplary embodiment, the server may further include an identification information obtaining section configured to obtain identification information for identifying a relay device which relays communication between each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals and the server, and the first processor may generate or select, by using the identification information, the subject-data-to-be-collected having been subjected to sorting according to the identification information.
In the features described above, the subject-data-to-be-collected which is transmitted and received between one of the hand-held information terminals and another one of the hand-held information terminals can be associated with the relay device. For example, each of the hand-held information terminals obtains the subject-data-to-be-collected which is different according to a location at which the access point is provided. In a case where an access point is provided for each chain store, each of the hand-held information terminals obtains the subject-data-to-be-collected which is different for each chain store.
According to still another feature of the exemplary embodiment, the subject-data-to-be-collected may be data representing a portion of one complete content.
In the features described above, for example, one complete content which is self-concluded as it is, such as an image, a music, a moving image, or binary data representing a game program, is divided into a predetermined number of pieces, and a user is allowed to enjoy collecting (fragmentary pieces of) such one complete content. Further, such a subject to be collected can be added anew, and distributed.
According to still another feature of the exemplary embodiment, the subject-data-to-be-collected may be data representing an individual element of a predetermined collection of elements.
In the features described above, for example, a user is allowed to also enjoy collecting data representing an element to be collected, such as a trading card. Further, such a subject to be collected can be added anew, and distributed.
According to still another feature of the exemplary embodiment, the subject-data-to-be-collected may be specifying data used for specifying a predetermined portion, a predetermined region, or a predetermined period of the entirety of the one complete content, and each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals may further include a storage section configured to store all data representing the one complete content, and the specifying data.
In the features described above, when data representing a completed state obtained by each subject-to-be-collected (a state in which all the subjects have been collected) is stored in each of the hand-held information terminals, data transmitted and received between the hand-held information terminals may indicate only a location of the data in the completed state, for example. Therefore, an amount of data to be transmitted and received can be reduced.
According to still another feature of the exemplary embodiment, each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals may further include an output processor configured to perform a predetermined output process by combining a plurality of pieces of the subject-data-to-be-collected.
In the features described above, a user is allowed to enjoy collecting fragmentary pieces (which make no sense if they are each handled as an individual piece) to complete some content.
According to still another feature of the exemplary embodiment, the first transmitter and receiver may connect to another one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, which is a short distance away, and transmit to and receive from the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals connected thereto, the subject-data-to-be-collected.
In the features described above, the subject-data-to-be-collected can be transmitted and received between the hand-held information terminals which are positioned physically at a short distance.
According to still another feature of the exemplary embodiment, the first transmitter and receiver may use a short distance wireless communication to wirelessly connect to another one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, which is within a communication-allowed range, and transmit to and receive from the other one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals which is wirelessly connected thereto, the subject-data-to-be-collected.
In the features described above, for example, a user can collect the subject-data-to-be-collected by only going out with the hand-held information terminal, thereby reducing user's efforts for collecting the subject-data-to-be-collected.
According to the exemplary embodiment, a user's motivation for collecting data to be collected can be maintained.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of exemplary embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.